Historical Figure
George Soros
b. 1930
Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist (born 1930)
Talk to George Soros
Have a conversation with this historical figure through AI
Biography
George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist. As of May 2025, he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, of which $15 billion has already been distributed, representing 64% of his original fortune. In 2020, Forbes called Soros the "most generous giver" in terms of percentage of net worth.
In Their Own Words (5)
The bureaucratic method of building an integrated Europe has exhausted its potential.
"Can Europe Work? A Plan to Rescue the Union" in Foreign Affairs (September/October 1996) , 1996
I consider Xi Jinping the most dangerous enemy of open societies in the world.
Tweet 16 August 2021 , 2021
‘The EU needs to transform itself into an association that countries like Britain would want to join, in order to strengthen the political case,’ Mr Soros said he was convinced it was the ideal time for the EU to reform itself and prepare the ground for the UK staying inside the bloc.
On BREXIT, "Brexit: Second referendum campaign to be launched, George Soros announces", The Independent (2018) , 2018
China isn’t the only authoritarian regime in the world, but it’s undoubtedly the wealthiest, strongest and most developed in machine learning and artificial intelligence. This makes Xi Jinping the most dangerous opponent of those who believe in the concept of open society.
Speech at World Economic Forum (24 January 2019) , 2019
How can we escape from the trap that the terrorists have set us? Only by recognizing that the war on terrorism cannot be won by waging war. We must, of course, protect our security; but we must also correct the grievances on which terrorism feeds. Crime requires police work, not military action.
Address at the University of Pennsylvania (2002); quoted in "White House playing into Soros' hands?" by J. Michael Waller, in WorldNetDaily (1 December 2003) , 2002
Timeline
The story of George Soros, told in moments.
Born Schwartz Gyorgy in Budapest, Hungary. Jewish family. His father survived a Siberian prisoner-of-war camp in World War I. During the Nazi occupation in 1944, the family used forged documents and hiding places to survive. He was 14.
Emigrates to the United States after studying at the London School of Economics under Karl Popper. Popper's philosophy of the open society shapes everything Soros builds later. He starts as a stock trader on Wall Street.
Bets $10 billion against the British pound on Black Wednesday, forcing the U.K. to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. His Quantum Fund makes roughly $1 billion in profit. The British tabloids call him "the man who broke the Bank of England."
Founds the Open Society Foundations, eventually distributing over $32 billion to causes in more than 120 countries. He funds universities, civil liberties organizations, and democratic movements across Eastern Europe.
Announces he's returning all outside investor money in his fund. Manages only family assets going forward. His personal fortune at the time is estimated at $22 billion. He's given away more money than any living American except Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
More from the Modern
Explore what happened on the days that shaped George Soros's life. Today In History connects historical figures with the events, births, and deaths that defined their era. Browse all historical figures or explore today's events.